Days In-Between
by OrangeFeels
Summary: For the /r/Frozen Weekly Writing Prompt. Have you ever wondered what things were like the day Anna and Elsa figured out their Parents had perished? Read on to find out about that fateful day, and the days in-between leading up to the movie. One-Shot.


Days In-Between

By OrangeFeels

For the /r/Frozen Weekly Writing Prompt

* * *

Anna squinted, trying to make out the tiny words on schoolbook.

"The precise dimension of the- what does any of this mean anyway?" she threw up her arms in defeat. Her teacher looked at the Princess from under her spectacles.

"Young lady, I'd assume you'd take your studies seriously. You are the Princess of Arendelle after all. Some of the responsibilities that befall your Sister rest on your shoulders as well. Now pay attention, and begin reading once more." she paced around Anna's desk. Anna rolled her eyes, and began reading from the book once more. While she read, her mind wandered. If Elsa was going to be Queen one day, wouldn't she need more experience with people?

Heck, Anna was only fifteen, and _she_ had more people skills than Elsa.

Anna peered out the window to the docks. Her parents had left four days ago, and they hadn't received word from them since. Everybody was on edge, but Anna knew that some messages take time. Her parent's reply should be arriving any moment now...

* * *

Elsa tried to relax.

"Just breathe." she told herself. But she couldn't.

The situation had escalated to drive Elsa borderline insane. She hadn't heard from her parents since they had left on their journey. How was she supposed to know if they were alright? What if something had happened? What if they were...

No, she had to stay positive. If she let her emotions get the best of her... Well, there would be disastrous consequences.

Elsa jumped when she heard a knock on her door.

"Princess? Do I have permission to enter?" called Kai. Elsa sighed. Kai had been the closest thing to a parent since her parents had left. She was happy to hear him out.

"Come in." she called. The servant entered the room cautiously. He bowed, and approached Elsa. He carried a scroll in his hand, with the wax seal of a sun holding it together. Corona. That was the kingdom her parents were journeying to. Something about a coronation. Or wedding. Both? Elsa had no clue, she was just glad there was news. "What is it? Have they responded?" Elsa asked, excited.

"Elsa, you may want to sit down." Kai remarked. Elsa's smile faded, and she gingerly sat on her bedside. Her once happy eyes filled with concern and dread.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I received this message a few hours ago. Do you want me to read it aloud?" he asked.

"Of course." Elsa motioned for him to continue. Kai looked anguished, but read it anyway.

"'Addressed to the Princesses and Citizens of the Kingdom of Arendelle. It is with a heavy heart that we report this news to you. One day ago, we discovered the wreckage of an Arendelle ship in the transport waters between Arendelle and Corona." he read.

Elsa's mouth dropped open.

"'Upon further investigation, we discovered the bodies of twelve crew members, the captain and-"

Tears flooded Elsa's eyes. She knew what Kai was going to say. A crackling sound filled the air, as a layer of frost started to coat her bedroom.

"'-The King and Queen of Arendelle."

Elsa tried not to sob then and there, but she couldn't contain herself. She wanted to hug Kai, for any sort of comfort, but she knew that wasn't a good idea. She could freeze him, or worse.

"'All the recovered bodies are being shipped back to Arendelle, so proper rites may be held. We are extremely sorry for your loss, as it causes great sadness to us all. Best regards- The Kingdom of Corona.'" Kai finished. Elsa sobbed even harder. She had trusted her parents. She had trusted that if they left, they would return. The only two people who ever tried to help Elsa with her powers were now gone. She was all alone.

"How will you break this to Anna, Your Majesty?" Kai asked. Something else pierced Elsa's heart. _How would she tell Anna?_ She would be crushed, and Elsa could not bear to do that to her Sister.

"You need to tell her, Kai." Elsa said in between sobs.

"Y-Your Majesty? Are you sure?" he asked, tears in his eyes. Elsa nodded. Kai looked concerned and sad as he shut the door behind him. As soon as he was gone, Elsa let out a massive wail of sadness.

Snow flew across the room, flash-freezing everything around her. Elsa collapsed onto her icy bed, and cried into her frozen pillow.

Even her tears froze as they traveled down her face.

* * *

Anna picked up her pencil again, trying to comprehend all the scientific terms that were being fed to her through the book. She looked up at the wooden clock, dangling from the wall. Only twenty more minutes, and this torture would be over.

Kai burst through the door, scroll in hand. Perfect. Something to relieve Anna of this ordeal.

"Hello, Kai." Anna greeted. The servant said nothing as he approached Anna's instructor. He whispered something inaudible in her ear. The old woman nodded, and exited the room. Anna's eyebrow went up at this. "What's going on? Is everything alright?" she asked.

Kai took a deep breath.

"The Queen has instructed that I read this message to you." he said, focusing on the scroll.

As the words left Kai's mouth, Anna felt he world closing in on her. She tried to reject it.

_No, it had to have been another ship._

_Her Parents must have survived. No way were they-_

Kai began to list off the bodies that were recovered from the wreckage. Crew mates... The Captain...

"The King and Queen of Arendelle." Kai read.

Anna tried to get out of her seat, to run. She couldn't. Her legs felt stiff and her arms felt like rubber. All she could do was sit there in disbelief, trying to comprehend what Kai had just told her. So many thoughts raced through Anna's head. What did this mean? Who would be in charge of Arendelle? Who would help Anna with her homework? Elsa surely _had_ to come out of her room now.

Elsa.

Kai had told Anna that Elsa had instructed him to deliver this message. Why? Was Elsa too cowardly to come out of her room and talk to Anna like a normal human being? Was she to _focused_ on her studies that she couldn't find the time to tell her little sister that their parents had died? What was the matter with her? Why did she shut herself out?

Suddenly, Anna's legs worked again. She stood up from her seat, stomped to the doorway, and threw it open. She looked furiously around the hallway for her sister's room. There it was. That stupid blue door in the middle of that stupid hallway. Anna all but ran to the door, tears in her eyes, and knocked once. No answer. She breathed.

Knocking again, she called Elsa's name. "Elsa? You there?" she asked. Nothing.

Knocking harder this time, "Elsa?"

Again, even harder. "Elsa, I know you're in there!"

Now she pounded on the door, desperately trying to punch a hole through it so she could talk to Elsa face to face.

_"Elsa let me in!_" she cried. _"Please!"_

"**Elsa!**" she said, now screaming for her sister.

After a few more minutes of knocking, Anna collapsed to her knees. Her knocking reduced to a tapping. She tried to speak, but nothing came out. She stopped knocking, now crying uselessly against Elsa's door.

Anna remained that way until the moon was high in the sky, slowly falling asleep against the icy door, until she felt a nudge on her shoulder. Gerda stood next to her, concerned.

"Princess Anna, it's your curfew." she reminded her. Anna nodded, wiped the remaining tears from her eyes, and lumbered back towards her bedroom.

* * *

Even three years after the funeral, Anna often caught herself thinking about what it would be like if her Father and Mother were still alive. Maybe Elsa would leave her bedroom, and they would spend time together. But, that was wistful thinking.

Anna slid down the staircase, as she did every morning, and headed towards the dining room. She waved and chatted with some of the staff; and sat down at the long, empty table. She tapped her fingers on the mahogany in a rhythmic tune. A servant left the kitchen, carrying a tray in his hands. Chocolate hotcakes, orange juice, and the most delicious looking cookie Anna had ever seen in her life. She picked up her fork and smiled, as the servant approached.

Her smile faded when the servant walked right passed Anna.

She giggled, and walked after him. "Excuse me?"

"Yes, Princess Anna?" he asked over his shoulder.

"That breakfast looks-" she laughed, "-amazing. May I ask who it's for?"

"Your Sister."

Anna laughed again, "What's the occasion?"

"Today is her birthday." he smiled. Anna stopped. What day was it?

"It _is _her birthday isn't it!" she gleamed.

"She has come of age." another staff member added, as the three of them continued through the hallway.

"Right! Soon, Arendelle will have a new Queen." the man carrying the food remembered. Anna stopped, still smiling as her mind processed this. Queen? Queen Elsa. That did have a ring to it, didn't it.

"When's the coronation?" Anna asked.

"Tomorrow is coronation day, ma'am." a maid called.

"Tomorrow." Anna repeated...

* * *

Elsa's eyes shot open. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, as she peered out her window. The kingdom was wide awake, celebrating and planing for the days activities.

She, on the other hand, glared at the black and teal dress that stood in the corner of her room.

"I hate you." she said, as if it were alive. Of course, she wasn't referring to the dress, but the coronation itself. Not only did Elsa have to get up in front of visiting dignitaries from all over the world, but she had to get up in front of visiting dignitaries from all over the world while she was incredibly stressed and scared. Sure, she _tried _to control her powers, but didn't stop the harsh reality of an episode. What if she covered everything in frost, or made it snow indoors. She shook her head, trying to chase off those thoughts. It didn't work, but she convinced herself that it did.

Elsa bathed, then fixed her hair into the bun she had fashioned herself for this occasion. She slipped on the dress, and the magenta cape that went along with it. It didn't look _bad. _Finally, she reached into her bedside table and withdrew a pair of teal gloves to go with her dress. The pair of gloves was crucial, Elsa didn't want anything to go wrong today.

Elsa looked at the clock. She had one hour before the coronation. She decided it wouldn't hurt to get some practice in. She would have to hold an orb and scepter while the Priest recited the Royal Oath. Elsa walked to the library, making sure that nobody saw her. She placed a candle stick an an old jewelry bowl on the wooden table in front of her. Elsa looked up at the portrait of her Father above the table.

"Papa, help me. Please." she whispered. Elsa regretted every minute she didn't spend with her family. Even now, she kept herself completely isolated.. Elsa was a terrible sister, leaving Anna alone for countless years. The night Anna knocked on her door, begging for Elsa to let her in, broke Elsa's heart. She couldn't stand it. She had wanted to let Anna in _so bad_, but she couldn't bear the thought of hurting her sister again.

All these years hiding away... But today Elsa would be subject to every sort of person at once. She had to control her emotions while trying to keep a strong demeanor. If any of the visiting dignitaries saw weakness in Elsa, that could mean trouble for Arendelle.

Elsa approached the window, and looked out over all the people entering the open gates of the castle. She took a deep breath.

_This is it._


End file.
